https://Voice.club - They called me Ant, not because I was small, super strong or social, but because I knew everything about these fabulous insects. Family Formicidae. About 10,000 species. Live in organised colonies. Necessary members of their ecosystems. From ant farms I had evolved to ant research in desolate areas of the world. Proud to say that I am an entomologist, but specifically a myrmecologist. My hero was E. O. Wilson, the world’s principal authority on ants. The day he died, I cried endlessly.
Ecstasy engulfed me when I saw the oldest ant fossil. The University of Sao Paulo had the amazing specimen of a 113 million year old ant. From its scythe-like jaw and horns, it was definitely a hell ant. Ants were admirable for their industry, discipline and achievement of extreme challenges. As ancient creatures, they have been on Earth for millions of years and existed with dinosaurs. Owing to their hard work ethic and cooperation, I saw their ability to save. To save mankind. To prevent us from interment in a pit of plastic waste.
I admired Professor Morris because he championed Earth Day. Once a year, he held a competition for a student to invent a way to significantly reduce pollution. In the past, the inventions had been incredible, but made no huge impact.
All through my undergraduate years, I worked with my ants. Now as a doctorate student, I was so close to realising their potential. So close, but …I was on the brink of a panic attack, because the competition was only a few months away.
There was some truth in the claim that some great inventions are merely accidents. Perhaps, I foolishly left the Super Ants’ farm open because they discovered a miracle food in the lab. This miracle food made them devour plastic. The miracle also made their excrement tough and durable.
Proudly, I introduced my Super Ants at the competition. My E.O Wilson Super Ants on their special diet not only consumed great quantities of plastic but their waste was made into bricks superior to cement! I owned Earth Day!